"Spectacular colorful mosaic" found in Kibbutz Bet Qama dig

Archaeologists working on an excavation at Kibbutz Bet Qama, in the B’nei Shimon region of Israel were surprised to discover a beautifully-preserved, Byzantine mosaic dating to the 4th - 6th centuries. The mosaic adorned the floor in what experts believe was a public building. (photo)

The ancient building was part of a settlement located along a road and consisted of "a large estate that included a church, residential buildings and storerooms, a large cistern, a public building and pools surrounded by farmland." The prupose of the public building has yet to be determined.